Never forget — your email message is only half of the sales process. You still need to close the sale on the page the shopper lands on after they click. For every email offer, create five to ten versions of the landing page, each with copy and design variations you want to test. Send your email with links that bring surfers to arandom landing page. As people click, you will quickly learn which page works best. Remove the less effective pages. Even a 5% jump in the close rate will make a big difference in your bottom line. (To find a free script that will send surfers to a random page, type “Random Link” into ScriptSearch.com.)

2> Mini-Mailings Maximize Major Mailings

Why send a message to your entire list before you know if it’s going to work? Before sending any email blast, send a few mini-mailings to a small sample of your list. Try different subject lines, offers, designs, or anything else that can improve response. (It works better if you only change one element at a time.) Mail each version to a thousand or so randomly selected recipients. Take the message that works best and mail it to your entire list. Finding the message that generates a few extra clicks puts a lot of money it your pocket!

3> Search Engine Strategy To Select Subjects

The subject line is the number one factor in determining whether your email is opened. It has to be eye-catching, unique, and compelling to the reader. Most search engines let you buy cheap pay-per-click listings. Use them to find the best subject line for a campaign. Here’s how: A) Create 10 subject lines for the same offer. B) List them all simultaneously on a search engine, using the same search term. C) Track which one gets the most clicks. Usually, the phrase that wins in a search will be the most effective in an email. You can do this test for less than $100.

I taught word of mouth marketing at Northwestern University and internet entrepreneurship at the Wharton School of Business. I’m a serial entrepreneur who founded and advises startups and nonprofits. And I’m a rabid purist on the topic of marketing ethics.

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"Damn, I Wish I'd Thought of That!" is full of unusually useful ideas borrowed from the smartest marketers. Good marketing is more about brains than bucks. The best business ideas are easy to do, inexpensive, simple, and fun. Learn to simplify your business, earn word of mouth, and thrill your customers.